Minneapolis folk-blues pioneer “Spider” John Koerner, one-third of the celebrated ’60s blues-folk trio Koerner, Ray and Glover, died Could 18. He was 86 and battled most cancers.

A local of Rochester, New York, Koerner arrived on the College of Minnesota in 1956 to review engineering, when folks music caught his consideration. He grew to become a part of the native acoustic scene and carried out briefly with a younger Bob Dylan, who warmly recalled Koerner in his memoir “Chronicles.”

Onstage, Koerner and his companions, singer/guitarist Dave “Snaker” Ray and harmonica virtuoso Tony Glover, carried out as a bunch, solo, and in duos. Koerner’s aggressive fingerpicking and boisterous vocals complemented Ray’s smoldering blues fashion and Glover’s harp.

In 1963, Elektra Data re-released their regionally-recorded LP Blues, Rags and Hollers nationally. Two extra KRG albums, Ray and Koerner solo albums, and Newport Folks Pageant appearances adopted. Their followers included David Bowie, the Beatles (notably John Lennon), the Doorways, and Bonnie Raitt, who thought-about Koerner a pal and mentor.

An inveterate tinkerer, Koerner, impressed by bluesman Large Joe Williams, added a high-G string to his Gibson Military-Navy Particular. He additionally performed a ’40s Gretsch Synchromatic 75 that had been transformed to a 12-string and a equally modified Epiphone.

Koerner briefly teamed with Minneapolis pianist Willie Murphy earlier than leaving music in 1972. He lived 4 years in Europe earlier than returning to Minneapolis. Occasional ’90s KRG reunions befell earlier than Ray’s loss of life in 2002, resulting in an ’05 documentary. Koerner additionally carried out solo and with Glover earlier than his loss of life in 2019.

His later solo albums included Raised by People (1992) and 2013’s What’s Left of Spider John, mixing conventional and authentic materials. As his well being failed, he gave his Gretsch to Minnesota protégé Charlie Parr. Koerner’s 12-string Epiphone is enshrined at Palmer’s, the Minneapolis bar the place he ceaselessly carried out.

This text initially appeared in VG’s September 2024 challenge. All copyrights are by the writer and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.